Performance Assessments

Students construct responses and knowledge Create products, or perform demonstrations to provide evidence of their knowledge and skill Adapt the content knowledge and apply it to a situation based in reality Motivate students with engagement in a scenario Students solving problems nurturing critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and problem solving

Why Performance Assessments? Learning should prepare students for life by being an integral part of life itself -- John Dewey Simulating real problems and real problem-solving is one way to encourage this connection! Performance assessments give students opportunities to choose among a diverse selection of projects Performance assessments facilitate the creation of learning opportunities based upon students’ individual interests and strengths Shift from “How will we test students on what we have taught?” to “What performances can we design to see what students can do with what they know?”

“One of the challenges in teaching is designing, and to be a good designer you have to think about what you're trying to accomplish and craft a combination of the content and the instructional methods, but also the assessment.” Grant Wiggins, co-author of “Understanding by Design"

Thinking about the academic standards… Reflect on the standards that you selected as you designed your instructional unit –What performances would allow students to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills identified within the academic standard or assessment anchor? –How can students create answers or products to demonstrate knowledge and skills?

Characteristics of Performance Assessments Students as active participants, not passive selectors of a right answer Outcomes should be identified and should guide the design of the task Student activities should match the objectives and allow student demonstration of mastery of intended outcomes Students should actively apply knowledge and skills to reality based situations and scenarios Clear set of criteria should be available to help judge the proficiency of student response

Process for Performance Assessment Task Design 1.Reflect on standards identified as you developed your planned instructional unit 2.Identify observable and measurable indicators for each standard 3.Generate a meaningful context for the task (real issues, problems, themes, student interest areas) 4.Identify thinking skills or processes that encourage application of knowledge and skills 5.Identify student products or performances

Step 1: Standards and Outcomes 1.Reflect on standards identified as you developed your planned instructional unit 2.Identify observable and measurable indicators for each standard

PA Academic Standard for Science and Technology C: Distinguish among the principles of force and motion. Identify elements of simple machines in compound machines. My Academic Standard:

Observable Outcomes My performance assessment will focus on the ability of my students to: Compare and contrast simple machines to complex machines

3.Generate a meaningful context for the task (real issues, problems, themes, student interest areas) 4.Identify thinking skills or processes that encourage application of knowledge and skills 5.Identify student products or performances Next Steps…

Context You are a graphic designer and have been asked to assist in the creation of cartoon characters created in the likeness and movement of simple and complex machines.

Process Your goal is to identify a minimum of 8 simple machines and complex machines, observe the workings of these machines, compare and contrast these machines, and determine movements and combinations of movement that could be used to represent these machines.

Product Develop cartoon characters as graphical representations of the machines and the movements of these machines. Be sure to distinguish between simple and complex on the graphics, identifying the reasons for the difference. Create a cartoon with your characters telling a story about what makes them the same, and what makes them different!

Criteria for Success Your work will be judged by a panel of cartoon designers who will judge the creativity of your work. In addition, an engineer will evaluate your classification and identification of simple and complex machines. A successful result will lead to the creation of a new cartoon series!

Possible “Roles” for these tasks Advertiser Author Political Candidate Cartoon Character Coach Composer Filmmaker Teacher Lawyer Newscaster Photographer Detective Interviewer Researcher Playwright Park Ranger Tour Guide Travel Agent Nutritionist Board Member Caterer Translator Engineer Scientist Doctor Fire Fighter Police Officer

Possible products for these tasks… Advertisement Brochure Puzzle Magazine Article Memo Position Paper Poem Questionnaire Story Test Journal Blog Movie Discussion Skit Speech Song Dance Newscast Play Advertisement Collage Collection Graphic Diagram Model Map Painting Photograph

Model for the development of performance assessments Identify Setting and Role: –You are.. –You have. been asked to… –Your job is… Goal or Challenge –Your task is… –The goal is… –The problem/challenge… Product/Performance –You will create… In order to… –You need to develop… So that –You need to decide… For… Audience –Your clients are… –Your audience will be… –You will work to convince… Criteria for Success –Your performance needs to… –Will be judged by… –Should meet the following standards… –A successful result will…

Using Wiggins and McTigue’s GRASPS to develop Performance Assessments Goal Role Audience Situation Product Standards for Success